Rep. Jamaal Bowman pulled a fire alarm in the Cannon House Office Building on Saturday morning, shortly before the House was scheduled to vote on a government funding bill, which the New York Democrat said was an accident.
The incident was first revealed by House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil, a Republican from Wisconsin.
“Rep (Jamaal) Bowman pulled a fire alarm in Cannon this morning. An investigation into why it was pulled is underway,” Steil said in a statement.
Bowman’s office said it was an accident, and the congressman told reporters later Saturday: “I was trying to get to a door. I thought the alarm would open the door and I pulled the fire alarm to open the door by accident.”
“I was just trying to get to my vote and the door that’s usually open wasn’t open, it was closed,” Bowman added.
Rep. Jamaal Bowman, a Democrat from New York, arrives to the US Capitol on June 22, 2023. – Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc./Getty Images/FILE
Leadership in both parties was informed of the situation once Bowman was identified in security footage, a source familiar said.
Rep. Lisa McClain, a Michigan Republican and member of the GOP leadership team, told CNN she is circulating a resolution to censure Bowman over the incident. She said she already has co-sponsors.
Bowman, however, laughed off the GOP response to the incident on Saturday, telling reporters, “They’re gonna do what they do. This is what they do.”
This story has been updated with additional information.
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